Migraine Headache Treatment

In this Article

Medical Treatment

Drugs for migraine headaches can relieve the pain and symptoms of a migraine attack and help prevent further migraine attacks.

Migraines can be treated with two types of drugs: abortive and preventive.

Abortive: The goal of abortive treatment is to stop a migraine once it starts. Abortive medications stop a migraine when you feel one coming or once it has begun. Abortive medications can be taken by self-injection, mouth, skin patch, or nasal spray. These forms of medication are especially useful for people who have nausea or vomiting related to their migraine, and they work quickly.

Abortive treatments include the triptans, which specifically target serotonin. They are all very similar in their action and chemical structure. The triptans are used only to treat headache and do not relieve pain from back problems, arthritis, menstruation, or other conditions. People with certain medical conditions should not take these medications.

Some drugs are used for headache pain, but are not specific for migraines. These include analgesics, narcotics, and barbiturates. Since some of these can be habit forming, they are less desirable than specific headache drugs listed above. These drugs should be used primarily as a "backup" for the occasions when a specific drug does not work.

Preventive: This type of treatment is considered if migraines occur frequently, typically more than one migraine per week, or if migraine symptoms are severe. The goal is to lessen the frequency and severity of the migraine attacks. Medication to prevent a migraine can be taken daily. Preventive treatment medications include the following:

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Some nontraditional supplement treatments for migraine prevention includecertified PA-free butterbur, coenzyme Q10, and feverfew. Whether they really help isn't known, because studies have shown mixed results. Check with your doctor before using any supplements as they are not regulated like prescription medicines and they may contain substances that are not safe.

If you can't take medication or wish not to, a device might be worth considering. Cefaly is a portable headband-like device gives electrical impulses on the skin at the forehead. This stimulates a nerve associated with migraine headaches. Cefaly is used once a day for 20 minutes, and when it's on you may feel a tingling or massaging sensation.

SpringTM may be another option. You hold it at the back of your head at the first sign of a headache, and it gives off a magnetic pulse that stimulates part of the brain. In addition, there is gammaCore, which is a noninvasive vagus nerve stimulator (nVS). When placed over the vagus nerve in the neck, it releases a mild electrical stimulation to the nerve's fibers to relieve pain.